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Siege of the City of Wonders
| FullSynopsis = For at least tenth months, the Cult of the Serpent's army, Serpent Men reinforced by unscrupulous mercenaries and joined by troops sent by other enemies, besieged the City of Wonders, capital city of the kingdom of Valusia, intending to destroy King Kull and destroy Valusia. That conflict brought upon the City of Wonders famine, plague, unrest, and treason, even among the nobles, and even caused Kull to doubt that his place was in Valusia. History Pre-siege skirmish ... Third Month The army of the Serpent Cult, reinforced by unscrupulous mercenaries, had been joined by troops sent by some of Valusia's enemies, drove by their hatred to ally with those monsters. During the waiting, the Serpent Men destroyed all livestock and firewood in the countryside. Each morning, the Serpent General of the army rode to survey the walls. In the city, Kull tracked those who would stockpilling food while most starved. When Lord Rota Aurix learned his own secret stores had been discovered, he fled the city and went to the Serpent Cult, intending to remain safe by giving up valuable intel. He informed the general, that Kull had very few troops along the ramparts on the western end of the city, which was the farthest wall from the Imperial Palace and covered the poorest sections of the city. In exchange, he asked for his weight in gold, and safe pasage to Commoria, which were promised to him if the intel proved true. Meanwhile, Kull suspected such treachery, and had shifted the defenss to the west wall, the weakest point of defense. A force of 10,000, Serpents and men, moved toward the west wall in the hour before sunrise, but their assault was promptly thwarted by Kull, Brule, and the Valusians. About 2,000 (a hundred score) of the Serpent Cult's army were killed, and the general consequently flayed Aurix. The day came, and during the general's morning survey, his personal bodyguard held Aurix's skin as a new banner, to show those inside the price of betrayal. Seventh month After famine and pestilence, plague fell upon the City of Wonders. Kull decreed that all suffering from the signs of the plage were to be brought to the plague hostel. The soldiers were tasked to gather there the infected, or else to kill them. Beyond the hostel was held a firepit where the dead were burned to prevent the spreading of the sickness as well as cannibalism. The formerly wealthy and powerful Lord Khorata rallied the hostel's people, and started a riot to free themselves. He led them to the palace to demand an audience to Kull, asking to be returned to their former stations. Kull rejeced his demands, and ordered that they return to the hostel, or they would be slain by the Red Slayers. The plague army rushed to kill Kull and claim the Topaz Throne, and were consequently slaughtered by the Red Slayers' bow. Kull ordered the bodies to be burned where they lied, except for a few to be loaded onto catapults and thrown into the camp of the Serpent Men. Tenth month The attacks of the Serpent Cult grew bolder each day, as the city weakened, cursed by plague and starvation. Kull levied on the private stores of the wealthy to fed the poor. The wealthy asked n audience of Kull, where they asked that their "burdens" would be lifted. Kull rageously dismissed them, outraged by their demand. Asked by Laria if he didn't wished to be away, in Atlantis, Kull acquiesed, and decided to flee the city. In his silent escaoe through the street, Kull was startled by a blind girl. Orphaned by the plague, the girl, unaware of her interlocutor's identity, stated that life under Kull was good and would be again, as Kull would turn back the Serpents, like he had before. Kull consequently changed his mind and remained. Soon, the people of the City of Wonders fought with a new resolve, a new strength, instilled in them by Kull, leaving the Serpent Men wondering the origin of that change. | Notes = The Siege of the City of Wonders was created by Chuck Dixon, announced in-universe in "Host of the Serpent Cult" ( ; May, 1988), and then depicted in the following issues, all written by Dixon: "Traitor's Gold" ( ; June, 1988), "The Plague King" ( ; April, 1989), and "Conscience of the King" ( ; September, 1993). | Trivia = | Links = }} Category:Pre-Cataclysmic Age Category:City of Wonders